9 month Pumping Update

*need to edit

I have been Exclusively Pumping for the Twins for 9 months and counting. Sliver boobies with gold nips!   EP means I only pump for the twins I do not breastfeed. But not because of lack of wanting  or trying. But because breastfeeding did not work for me and  my preemies in the end pumping did.

With the babies being born prematurely breastfeeding wasn't even an opinion but pumping was! The babies were born with no suck, swallow, breathe reflex and had to be fed my breast milk through a feeding tube. After they were discharged from the hospital, weight gain and knowing how much they were taking at a feeding was so important -- so I took the doctor and LC's advice to hold off on nursing while the twins gained weight.

A couple of weeks passed and I was “allowed” (I am generally a rule follower) to nurse the babies. They had latch issues and were used to the bottle so I had to wear nipple shields. They were able to nurse but it was so much harder for them.  Nursing took them about 20 minutes to drink 30cc or 1 oz when they needed to drink 2oz. They would get tired and quit and then about 30 minutes later I would have to nurse or bottle feed again. I was also only “allowed” to nurse them once a day while the doctors monitored their weight gain. In the end as a frizzled new mom I pumped and bottle fed. At 3 months I was told I could nurse… at this point the twins had no interest and I was returning to work… and they had teeth poking through the gums.

I felt the twins need to gain weight was more important than my desire to nurse so I pumped as a comprised. I was able to feed them all breast milk and had a nice freezer stash when I went back to work. Going back to work and not having the time to pump is when things got hard.

 I have had to supplement with formula and the twins now get formula on a regular basis. They get about half breast milk and half formula.

I really started struggling with EP around 6 months (I went back to work at 4 months) at this time my extra freezer stash was used up and I was not making enough for the twins and noticed a real drop in my supply which caused a lot of stress in my life! ...Come to find out my pump was broken… I got a new pump and I started producing more and my supply was back up, but it still wasn’t enough to keep up with the twins demand. If I had a more flexible work schedule I may have been able to keep up with the demand. I only have one real time a day I can pump at work.

At around 7 months I dropped a pump from 5 pumps a day to 4 pumps a day (return from winter break). At 8 months I dropped to 4 pumps a day. When the twins hit 9 months two weeks ago I dropped down to 3 pumps.

It takes a while for the dropped pumps to affect your supply but with each dropped supply you produce a little less.

Now two weeks after dropping down to 3 pumps and add being sick with the stomach bug for 48 hours… I am only pumping twice a day. Morning and Night, and it has been ranging from 16-24 ounces total. I am not sure how long I will be able to maintain that supply at only two pumps a day. I have been thinking about adding the 3rd pump back in to help me make it to year mark but I don’t know if I will. I have already been through the process of re-establishing my supply, it takes a lot of time and work, and in the end I will still have to supplement. 

So right now my twins are still getting 2 bottles of breast milk a day. The rest formula. It’s not what I originally wanted for them. But now that I am okay with this… my life is so much easier in so many ways.

I am probably repeating what I have already said about this in other pumping posts but pumping is an emotional thing for me. So accepting dropping pumps was not easy.

My pediatrician made me feel good about my efforts. By saying they are getting “the best of both worlds,” like all the iron and other vitamins from the formula that I may not be able to give them from my breast milk alone.

Add in two other important health factors that have led to my pump weaning.

1.      I have had my menstrual cycle every month since July and that effects your production. Leading to two weeks (ovulation week and menstrual week) where I was not producing as much.

2.      My hypothyroidism leads to low production. Pumping also makes it hard for me to get healthy. My Endo suggested that I wean sooner than later because the sooner I do the easier my levels will be able to control. I need to be completely done by 1 year. So I can start getting myself healthy for these babies!

I could have quit pumping when my supply dropped. I could have quit pumping when I had to start supplementing with formula. I could quit pumping now that my babies are only get two bottles of breast milk a day. But they still get the benefits of breast milk from those two bottles. I will pump and give them breast milk as close to a year as I can.

At 1 year if I am still producing on two pumps a day I will stop. So I can get my thyroid levels regulated.

Pumping as for sure been a crazy, stressful ride, but I am happy that I have been able to do it for my babies.